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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620699">you're in my head</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/reishockey/pseuds/reishockey'>reishockey</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>monsters come out at night [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon Compliant, Dreams and Nightmares, M/M, Police Brutality</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:15:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,762</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/reishockey/pseuds/reishockey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s something about the way Akechi’s smile doesn’t seem to reach his eyes, befitting more of a mannequin than a real human being. Akira pushes the thought away. This is a date, right? And if his crush is asking to sit next to him, who is he to refuse?</p><p>Or: Akira's mind is trying to figure out what to think about his new acquaintance.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>monsters come out at night [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you're in my head</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's been a while since I've written fiction, but I still hope you enjoy this little oneshot that will (hopefully) be the start of a series to help me get more comfortable writing.</p><p>Fic and series title are from "Monsters" by All Time Low ft. blackbear</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gorgeous maroon eyes stare at him from across the booth. Akira can’t help but meet their gaze, transfixed. It seems almost unreal to him that this boy, Goro Akechi, second coming of the Detective Prince, would be in his café. That he would humor Akira and actually go on a date with him. But here they are, sitting in one of the booths at Leblanc. Akira is distantly aware that Akechi’s lips are moving and forces himself to listen.</p><p>“-that we would just get to know each other by chance. It almost feels like fate, doesn’t it?”</p><p>Akechi chuckles, his voice clear and pleasant.</p><p>“That you just happened to be at the studio with your class the day I was there for a recording. That out of everyone in the audience, you were the one asked to share your opinion. And what an intriguing opinion it was- “</p><p>He lowers his head, only to look up at Akira through his long eyelashes. </p><p>“Of course, I couldn’t help but approach you after that.”</p><p>A shy smile curves Akechi’s lips, and Akira can make out the faintest shade of pink on his face as he adds:</p><p>“I’d really like to get to know you more… <em>personally</em>. Is there anywhere we could talk more in private?”</p><p>At that, Akira feels the heat rise in his own cheeks. This is sudden, albeit not unwelcome. He swallows, then clears his throat to stop any insecurities from showing in his voice.</p><p>“My room is upstairs – we could go there, if you’d like?”</p><p>Akechi’s smile grows wider as he clasps his hands together enthusiastically.</p><p>“Perfect! Shall we go then?”</p><p>Their coffee cups in hand, they make their way up the narrow stairs to Leblanc’s attic in silence. Akira gestures for his guest to take a seat on the couch. Akira himself moves to sit on his bed, but feels Akechi reaching for his hand, holding him back.</p><p>“Would you mind joining me on the couch, Kurusu-kun?”</p><p>There it is again, that picture-perfect smile of his. The same one he wears on TV. For some reason, it unsettles Akira. There’s something about the way Akechi’s smile doesn’t seem to reach his eyes, befitting more of a mannequin than a real human being. Akira pushes the thought away. This is a date, right? And if his crush is asking to sit next to him, who is he to refuse? He lets Akechi pull him in closer and takes a seat next him on the small couch.</p><p>“So, Kurusu-kun, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”</p><p>The atmosphere in the room seems to have changed suddenly. Instead of flirtatious banter and suggestive glances, Akira feels like a small animal watching a massive bird of prey swooping down on him. Cold sweat prickles on the back of his neck, pinned in place by Akechi’s plastic smiles and piercing gaze.</p><p>“Did you really think you and your friends would get away with your little stint as the Phantom Thieves? You must have known that sooner or later, I would be onto you.”</p><p>Akira is sure that his heart must have stopped, blood turning to ice and lungs filled with lead. His mind starts racing, toppling over itself with unspoken questions.</p><p>
  <em>“Is he serious? How could he know? There’s no way he could prove anything, right? This has to be a joke. He has no way of knowing about the Metaverse, right? Unless-“</em>
</p><p>The realization hits him like a slap in the face. Back in the TV studio, Akechi could hear Morgana. Of course he knows about the Metaverse.</p><p>Akechi pauses but does not seem to expect an actual response. The look of horror on Akira’s face must be confirmation enough. His plastic smile changes, distorting his soft features into an amused sneer.</p><p>“Did you really think you were being discreet? It was too obvious, what with that loudmouth shouting about it in broad daylight. And of course, despite the mask you wear in that getup of yours, it’s not hard to recognize a group as… <em>colorful</em> as yours. Right down to that strange, talking cat you carry around everywhere.”</p><p>Akira swallows hard, finally finding his voice again. He’s startled by how timid it sounds.</p><p>“So, what are you going to do with me now?”</p><p>Akechi had chuckled earlier, when their date was still a date. It had been a lovely little sound. But now, his laugh rings out cold in Akira’s ears. It infuriates him, a familiar spark of rebellion glimmering in his chest. That spark is what really pulls him out of his shock, pushes him to try and fight back. Despite his initial instinct of shrinking back, he leans in closer to Akechi. He does his best to keep his voice low, teeth bared in a sneer.</p><p>“Am I amusing you, detective?”</p><p>Much to Akira’s dismay, Akechi sees right through him. He stops laughing, but there is still a cruel smile on his face as he backs away. Not in retreat, but as if someone tried to offer him a handful of worms. He stands, checking his watch. He doesn’t even spare Akira another glance as he replies.</p><p>“So presumptuous, Kurusu. <em>I</em> am not going to do anything with you. The police should be here any moment. You already have a criminal record, correct?”</p><p>Akira feels as if Akechi has shoved a handful of razor blades down his throat. When did he even call the police? The terms of Akira’s probation are clear. Getting arrested will surely send him straight to juvie. He feels himself deflate, his will to fight back slipping through his fingers like a handful of sand. Unbothered by Akira’s sudden change in demeanor, Akechi continues.</p><p>“It’s a shame, really. I was hoping for more of a challenge, I’m quite disappointed you were so easy to unmask. I suppose I overestimated you. Oh well. My work here is done. And just in time, it seems.”</p><p>There are new voices coming from the café downstairs. Police, most likely. Akira sits rooted to the spot, unable to move a muscle, the spark of his rebellion extinguished as quickly as it had flared up. Akechi doesn’t look back at him as he turns to leave. Akira wants to reach out to him, to hit him, to shout, to cry. He doesn’t. Everything around him seems to blur together, his last moments of freedom passing in front of him like he’s watching a movie.</p><p>Akechi is gone. There are police officers in his room. He is yanked off the couch. They pin him to the floor on his stomach. Cold metal snaps shut around his wrists. It feels almost familiar. His hazy mind remembers the same thing happening to him just a few months ago. Somebody drags him to his feet. They’re speaking to him. His ears feel like they’ve been stuffed full of cotton.</p><p>He remembers why he stepped up that night.</p><p>He remembers why he went back to that castle.</p><p>He remembers why he never backed down, always risking his own skin to save others.</p><p>They haul him down the stairs. Now, with the detention center awaiting him, he wonders if it was worth it. He feels like he’s been punched in the gut. Because he finally realized just how grim his future looks? Or maybe the officers did punch him. He can’t tell.</p><p>As they shove him out of the café, he catches a glimpse of Sojiro. Akira manages to call out to him for help, but his guardian only shakes his head disapprovingly. There’s a familiar voice behind Akira, taunting him.</p><p>“Did you really think he was going to help you?”</p><p>It’s Akechi. Or is it? Akira turns around just in time to see Akechi’s handsome face morph into someone else. The honey brown hair seems to be receding into his skull, his features aging and changing, an ugly little goatee growing on his chin, until Akira finds himself face to face with the drunk bastard who got him into this mess.</p><p>“This is what happens to worthless brats who don’t know their place!”</p><p>The man takes a swing, ready to strike Akira square in the face, when-</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Akira awakes with a start to find himself in the familiar darkness of his attic. The soft, cat-shaped weight on the mattress beside him calms his beating heart. Despite Akira’s little jolt when he woke up, Morgana still seems to be sound asleep. His paws are twitching slightly – he must be having a dream of his own.</p><p>Akira takes a deep breath, the events of the dream still fresh in his mind. Between visits to the Velvet Room and resurfacing memories of the night he got arrested, he’s used to strange dreams by now. He’s not surprised about the drunk man making his way into his nightmares again. But it was still deeply unsettling to watch the way Akechi’s face changed into his. He’s not sure why his sleeping brain made that connection.</p><p>He keeps mulling over this most recent dream. He knew Goro Akechi would be trouble the moment he approached them at the TV station yesterday. Still, Akira gave him his number earlier today. To keep an eye on him, he told himself. To make sure he doesn’t find out the Phantom Thieves’ true identities, he told himself. To find out why he seemingly understood Morgana, he told himself. Tonight’s dream makes him wonder if that was really his only intention.</p><p>The beginning of the dream had been nice, really. A date with a cute guy, a famous detective, nonetheless. But it wasn’t just that. There was something about Goro Akechi that drew Akira to him like a moth to a flame. Just as self-destructive, possibly. Just as inevitable, definitely. He couldn’t help it. Akechi put on that pleasant boy façade on TV, the righteous Detective Prince fighting for justice. But just like in his dream, Akira realized there was something artificial about that pretty smile. He was itching, aching to peel back the layers and find out what Akechi was really hiding behind them.</p><p>Of course, he knows it’s foolish. Goro Akechi is an outspoken opponent of the Phantom Thieves, despite the public seeing them as little more than a rumor. Goro Akechi is his enemy and getting close to him could backfire tremendously. If Akira played his cards wrong, it would only make him seem more suspicious. Sooner or later, his little dance around the flame might just set his wings on fire.</p><p><em>“Shit,”</em> Akira realizes, <em>“I really do want to go on a date with him.”</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Huge thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/idemandahug/pseuds/ProfessionalCatFan">ProfessionalCatFan</a> for beta reading and to everyone else on the server keeping me motivated! If it weren't for you, these lines would probably have never left my brain.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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